St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-19
SAVED BY THE BABY.
An Actors 0pe Out
Of Despair.

Few professional people have TO con-
end with more hardships. mutations
and vicissitudes than circumstances
visit upon the actor. 90 remarked Edwin
Barbour. as he lighted a fragrant
Havana and seated himself with a party
Of friends at the conclusion OF the matt
nee performance.
.'Weu. relate some of your expert
enceS. UEed one oil the party.
.-All right. If ii VIII interest YOU. l
viii tell YOU a little story that viii illus
tratc my statement. Some four years
ago l was on the road with party. We
Didn't meet with much success. and he
came stranded. We hadn't been paid
our salaries for a month. / had but 4
few dollars lin the eXcheqUeT but / man
aged to reach New York City
with my little family. 1t was my
first advent there for ,yeral years and
consequently l found myself without
employment. without friends. and had
scarcely passing acquaintance there. l
rented modest quarters on ChaTletOn
street and went in search of an engage
ment. I visited every manager in the
city. laid before them my unhappy cir
cumstances and begged employment TO
keep the wolf from the door. Ny sup
pIicatiOnS were futile. Everywhere l
was told the same StOry-'mOre actors
now than we can use with advantage"
Then sought other emplOvment-anV-
thing that would give me few dollars
TO avert abiect suffering. No. | could
not even get chance to do mental
work. 4 clerk. "a cOachman. hOStler
no matter what would have con-
>idered a boon. One day. after a fruit
less tramp of hours I'D and down The
busy streets. | returned 10 my rooms
completely detected. Starvation in all
It's horrors stared me in the face. l
could have borne up under even these
INDECENT conditions We're ii not for nv
beloved ones. As Bob BrieriV
SAYS. / felt Ike making 4 hole
in the water. Well. L threw myself
into q chair thoroughly discouraged.
Despite every effort the lOng-TeStrained
tears Weiled up. and l broke down and
cried like q helpless child. NV brave
wife eyeTTGd every endeay0r to SOOthe
me and inspire me with renewed cOuT-
age but it was of no avail. HeartbTOken
/ threw myself Ul Oh the bed. There
lay the little baby, fast asleep. 1t was
she by the way. who recently played
the child part in the Galley Slave
Presently the little thing aWOke. and
reaching over size began pdttlDg me on
the face with her soft. chubby little
dimpied hands. cooling the While. 1t
was this that aroused me-7ayed me
from utter despair. { sprang from the
bed new man. Ny GOdr I cried. is
this not enough 10 Undue NE with hOpt3
I'll try again. hurried cut into the
street and began walking almost
without knowing whittier /
went In ten minutes [ was 4
happy man. Incidentally net
Boston manager whom / knew quite
Intimately. lie was in quest of Il lead
ing man. and gave both myself and
wife an engagement for the season, and
il was The happiest engagement L ever
enjoyed. We were prosperous. did L
big business and made a pronounced
hit. Eve seen tOieTablv hard times. Of
course. since. but / have never been
driven to such an extremity. and owe
il all to that blessed little baby. for il 1
had net gone out just at that fortunate
moment | shOuldnOt have met the man
aver. who was even then on his way to
the station to take the next train for
home. Well, this shows that an actors
life is not all sunshine. and that be is
subjected to the ups and downs which